Posted - 09/04/2012 : 14:35:37 Gabriel Landeskog has been named the captain of the Colorado Avalanche. At 19 years 286 days, he becomes the youngest captain ever. Do you think he is ready to fill the role as the teams captain, or should it have gone to someone else?

13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)

The Duke

Posted - 09/23/2012 : 19:45:00 By the way Beans ....respect your elders may be dead in your part of the country.....and i know it is because i`ve worked all over this country......

but its still alive and well here in Newfoundland.....believe it or not we still do respect our elders....

and yes i always stood up while riding the bus in Toronto and gave up my seat to an elderly person......but you are correct, 95 % of the passengers certainly did not...i know what you mean.

The Duke

Posted - 09/23/2012 : 19:37:36 You are correct about Crosby and Teows, Beans...but look at the totally STACKED teams they played on.

How many years would these 2 talented players have to play before they earned that stanley cup ring if they were drafted by....lets say....Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Ottawa ????

Those 2 teams had TONS of leadership already. The C on these young players shirts certainly wasn`t that revelant to their teams success. I`m sure those 2 teams would have won the stanley cup anyway if Crosby and Teows wasn`t captain.

They are both great hockey players but too young to be made captains, thats just my opinion anyway. Earn your stripes for several years before you wear them.

In my honest opinion, teams are just using these kids status as a marketing tool to sell jersey`s. It`s all about $$$$$ these days and its so sad for hockey in general.

Theres not a chance in hell 19 - 20 year olds make captain in the good ole days of REAL hockey.

Beans15

Posted - 09/21/2012 : 07:29:20 If I recall, 2 of the past 4 Stanley Cup winners (Chicago and Pittsburgh) had captains that got the C at 19 or 20.

Nux hit is on the head. This is not real life. A kid like Landeskog has been a leader since he was about 12 yrs old. He's been the leader of his peers for a long time.

And I firmly believe that leadership is about respect. The times of 'respect your elders' is deader than dead. Respect is earned and age is irrelevant.

Daniel Alfredsson is the MVP of the universe. All hail the Ottawa Senators!!!!!

nuxfan

Posted - 09/20/2012 : 20:48:10

quote:Originally posted by The Duke

19 years old is very, very young in a mans world....and he is basically a youngster who is JUST ENTERING into a mans world, regardless of his maturity.

I`m not a professional hockey player, i`ve never been inside an NHL dressing room.

I am a construction foremen, have been in construction for 31 years. I started out a snot nose boy and EARNED my status over time with HARD work and respect from my co - workers......this takes many years and much hard work.

I can only imagine what goes through a seasoned NHL`ers mind, ( who has been in the league for years, battled through injuries and has cotton sticking from his eye brow ) when he sees a snot nose 19 year old kid walk into the dressing room with the C on his jersey !!!!!!! wonder what he is thinking ?? maybe...is this my new leader ??....wheres his X box ??....lol

These young kids have no life experience guys....what have they to pass onto an NHL team ??....whats up with these NHL teams today ??......

These young captians you listed above surely all deserve to be captians but so young ??....they are all great leaders but give them time to earn respect......respect takes time.

You don`t get respect handed to you, it doesn`t work that way, you earn it through years of leading by example.

In all fairness Duke, the NHL is not like real life. That "seasoned NHL'er" that you speak of is probably only 26 or 27 years old... 19 is not a whole lot younger. They probably all play x-box in their downtime.

If Landeskog were a "snot nosed 19 year old kid", I don't think he would have been given the C.

The Duke

Posted - 09/20/2012 : 19:44:44 19 years old is very, very young in a mans world....and he is basically a youngster who is JUST ENTERING into a mans world, regardless of his maturity.

I`m not a professional hockey player, i`ve never been inside an NHL dressing room.

I am a construction foremen, have been in construction for 31 years. I started out a snot nose boy and EARNED my status over time with HARD work and respect from my co - workers......this takes many years and much hard work.

I can only imagine what goes through a seasoned NHL`ers mind, ( who has been in the league for years, battled through injuries and has cotton sticking from his eye brow ) when he sees a snot nose 19 year old kid walk into the dressing room with the C on his jersey !!!!!!! wonder what he is thinking ?? maybe...is this my new leader ??....wheres his X box ??....lol

These young kids have no life experience guys....what have they to pass onto an NHL team ??....whats up with these NHL teams today ??......

These young captians you listed above surely all deserve to be captians but so young ??....they are all great leaders but give them time to earn respect......respect takes time.

You don`t get respect handed to you, it doesn`t work that way, you earn it through years of leading by example.

@valanche

Posted - 09/06/2012 : 13:15:30 Alright here we go:Milan hejduk is likely retiring if there is a lockout. Milan hejduk was captain, there is almost certainly a lockout.The captaincy becomes available.

My first choice was Ryan o'reilly if you asked me in the last year... He is the hardest working player on the team. Of course he is the only remaining avalanche player unsigned and if you remember over half the team at one point needed to be resigned. So contract disputes take o'reilly out of eligibility unfortunately.

Stastny has been rumored in trades for two straight years and seems to be the odd man out on this team if anyone is on the move it will be him.

Duchene is the most talented on the team. He struggled last year and although I expect a near PPG season out of him if there is a season I don't see him as a captain as he is more of a fun loving less serious guy. Just not captain material.

Then new comer Erik Johnson. Failed so far to live up to his hype as a number 1 overall pick thus far in his career, although tons of potential remains. To me it just doesn't make sense to tag him with the captaincy ...too much additional pressure.

Then there's Landeskog. Touted from junior to be a future captain and the most NHL ready player of his draft. Leads the team in goals, plus minus, and wins the Calder. The only thing working against this guy is his age. Landeskog has a lot of natural talent combined with a great work ethic - this combination is so rare in the nhl today. The avs know what they are getting in landeskog - consistency every night. He must be well respected by his peers otherwise this decision wouldn't have been made.

66 is > than 99

Beans15

Posted - 09/06/2012 : 09:48:06 I think Landeskog if getting a bum rap from a number of people. He was the cap of his junior team and also had the A for Sweden at the WCH this year. The A on a national team for an 18 yr old player. C'mon, give credit where credit is due.

I do agree with the guest and think that Avs know something that Joe Sportsfan doesn't know. There are a pile of players in COL that others might think could have gotten the C. Stastny, Johnston, and Duchene come to mind quickly. But they didn't get it. Landeskog did.

Although I agree with Slozo that many so called 'experts' have no more or less of a clue than you, me, or any other fan. But in this case I do think the Avs made a decision based on things we may not know. I defer in this case as well.

And I wish the kid luck because it is a pile of pressure.

Daniel Alfredsson is the MVP of the universe. All hail the Ottawa Senators!!!!!

slozo

Posted - 09/06/2012 : 04:43:31

quote:Originally posted by Guest9572

Hockey fans are entitled to their opinions, and sometimes they're right.

But I usually defer to those who know more than I do, and in this case, I think the Avs probably thought long and hard about making this decision. I suspect they talked to Landeskog's former coaches, teammates, etc. before making this decision.

And I'm pretty sure the Avs talked to Milan Hejduk, and Landeskog's teammates before making this bold move.

And it is a bold move, and I give Landeskog credit for earning this level of respect. I wish him a sincere best wishes (not a sarcastic "good luck kid"), and hope he proves the naysayers wrong!

Good luck with your career as a hockey pundit Slozo!

And good luck agreeing with every single decision made by people in hockey that should "know better", guest 9572!

My wish for good luck had no sarcasm in it whatsoever, btw. It was genuine - he'll need it.

There is a certain kind of pressure that comes with being captain, and being the face of the franchise and not being able to go right to the dressing room after each game, etc etc etc. It is an extra thing to deal with outside of the rink, and it causes extra pressure. For a young kid, this is just added expectation and pressure for an as yet unproven commodity. THAT is why in general it has only been given to kids at a young age who look like they will be stars in the league . . . but like I said, who knows? He could be a star, I just haven't seen it yet myself.

I've been wrong before, and I've been right before. And frankly, I'll put my record of punditry against most anyone not named Bob Mackenzie

"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug

nuxfan

Posted - 09/05/2012 : 22:58:13

quote:Originally posted by slozoThe youngest captains of all time is a list of hall of famers . . . guys you were certain would be the best player on your team for some time. Yzerman, Crosby, Lecavalier, Toews . . . you get the picture.

I really don't think Landeeskog belongs in the same sentence as them - but that being said, maybe it will work out despite that, or maybe Landeskog is going to be better than I am giving him credit for.

Good luck kid, and hope you like the added pressure and responsibility as you start out on your NHL career.I really don't think Landeeskog belongs in the same sentence as them - but that being said, maybe it will work out despite that, or maybe Landeskog is going to be better than I am giving him credit for.

They're hall of famers now, for sure - but back then, they were just high prospect young kids with some leadership skills, same as Landeskog is now - they all started in the same place. Who's to say that he won't do all the things Yzerman did for DET or Lecavalier did for TB over the next 20 years?

He was the best player for COL last year overall (at least as far as I could see, when I saw them), and going forward production should not be an issue. Similar to EDM (but a bit older), they have a very bright young forward group with Stastny/Duschene/Landeskog/Downie/Parenteau, that should only get better with time. Landeskog will be front and centre in that group.

I agree with guest9572 - we all have opinions, but I trust those that know their team and players best to make a good decision. While unorthadox, if they think he's the man for the job then I trust it to be true. We'll see if they were right.

But I usually defer to those who know more than I do, and in this case, I think the Avs probably thought long and hard about making this decision. I suspect they talked to Landeskog's former coaches, teammates, etc. before making this decision.

And I'm pretty sure the Avs talked to Milan Hejduk, and Landeskog's teammates before making this bold move.

And it is a bold move, and I give Landeskog credit for earning this level of respect. I wish him a sincere best wishes (not a sarcastic "good luck kid"), and hope he proves the naysayers wrong!

Good luck with your career as a hockey pundit Slozo!

Guest5091

Posted - 09/05/2012 : 13:08:10 I don't view the captain as necessarily having to be the best player on your team... Just have to be a leader. That said, he was pretty much a PPG since late January anwway; expecting 70 out of him isn't out of the question at all...

Lando's already demonstrated talent/leadership everywhere he's been. There's even a quote floating around from a GM that he "wanted to tell him all my problems" after a couple of prospect interviews. That kind of charisma & interpersonal skills should make him a natural for the position, particularly since they're positioning him to be the face of that franchise for the next decade or more.

slozo

Posted - 09/05/2012 : 10:49:01 Sorry, but I don't see it, and really question this decision.

The youngest captains of all time is a list of hall of famers . . . guys you were certain would be the best player on your team for some time. Yzerman, Crosby, Lecavalier, Toews . . . you get the picture.

I really don't think Landeeskog belongs in the same sentence as them - but that being said, maybe it will work out despite that, or maybe Landeskog is going to be better than I am giving him credit for.

Good luck kid, and hope you like the added pressure and responsibility as you start out on your NHL career.

"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug

Guest4178

Posted - 09/04/2012 : 14:59:03 Wow – that's incredible! I know Yzerman was made captain of the Red Wings at a young age (21 years old), and he already had three full NHL seasons under his belt, so this is quite amazing!

I think it takes a special type of person/player to be a captain, and in rare instances, can a player so young be successful in this role.

I think Landeskog is a heckuva player, one who competes hard every shift, and I assume (for this choice to be made) that he has the respect of his teammates.

I gotta think his coach/GM (whoever made the decision) knows what they're doing, but if the team struggles (as most teams do), I'm sure people will question the decision.